SS: I think I like and understand the combination of both the functional and
aesthetic sides of art. Working with interior designers and architects strengthens
my ability to integrate more conceptual considerations into my art rather than
just the purely aesthetic ones.

IS: How did you come to investigate “encoded memory” (which you
explore in your Reconfiguring Memory series)?

SS: My interest in memory grew in the past decade. I worked closely withneural scientists inspired by their discoveries and methods of research of thebrain and memory in particular. Made of particles, the photograph makesmarks on a certain time in space. Codes are marks, a vocabulary of signsmaking an entire language. Early teletype machines were used to transportcoded messages which needed to be decoded by the receiver. In coding anddecoding there must be a sender and receiver. An artwork needs to be readby the viewer. I began to remove information from the photographs examininghow far can I go with missing particles in order to be able to read the image.

Working with these particles is like looking at an image through a huge
magnifying glass. Photography is a tool that we use to remember. In this digital
age we all relate to memory on a daily basis, storing or retrieving information
from the past. Along with encoding and storage, recall is one of the three
core processes of memory. Memory is the recollection of events or the ability
of the mind or of an individual or organism to retain learned information and
knowledge of past events and experiences and to retrieve it.

IS: Tell us about the process of building the conference table built
from an encoded memory photograph installed at the Center for
Neural Science at New York University.

SS: Reconfiguring Memory is a permanent art installation at the Center for
Neural Science at Neurobiology of Cognition Laboratory at NYU. It includes
three elements, one of which is the Encode/Decode conference table made
of Galaxy Glass & Stone, stainless steel, and a photograph. I removed

ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT

Sadé prefers to
photograph buildings
and cities at night,
then pulls them apart
and breaks them down,
coloring and encasing
them for interiors.

LEFT + RIGHT Sadé’s
“Imprints” in the
reception area of
Cozen O’Connor law
firm in Philadelphia;

the Encode/Decode
conference table, part
of the “Reconfiguring
Memory” installation at
the Center for Neural
Science at Neurology of
Cognition Laboratory at
New York University.